Baremi
Classification and Dialects Phonology Consonants Vowels Phonotactics Writing System The letter J (igoxja) is used exclusively at the end of words as a replacement of the acute accent. For example, the word maj (shoe) ends in igoxja because it ends with the same phoneme as the letter á (a i-na). However, if a suffix is appended to a word ending in igoxja, the acute accent is restored. The plural of maj is mák, which appends the ''-(i)k'' plural suffix and discards the igoxja for a i-na. The same rule applies for ej like in korrej (heart), which pluralizes to korrék. The acute accent, in some more colloquial settings, can replace g'' in a VCV sequence if the preceding vowel is ''á ''or ''é. For example, the word fráat (friend) is theoretically pronounced as frágat. This holds true in the case of agglutination, like how the verb root gorvi (to select) becomes ʒ''áorvi, ''kéorvi, ''etc.'' The letter Q (qafu) is used exclusively at the beginning of words as a prefix. Grammar Nouns Baremi nouns are not gendered but they do decline to two numbers (singular and plural), and fifteen cases. They can be marked with a definite article, but there is no indefinite article. The fourteen cases are: *nominative - the subject of the sentence *accusative - the direct object of the sentence *dative - the indirect object of the sentence *genitive - indicating possession or close affliation *locative - correlating to in, on, and at *allative - correlating to to, towards *instrumental and instructive - by what means or objects an action is performed *causal - indicating a reason (e.g. because of the delay) or translating to in terms of/in respect to *essive - indicating a specific time (used when referring to past and future events) *semblative - indicating similarity *sociative and abessive - respectively correlating to with and without *vocative - to address others Number Nouns can be numbered in singular and plural forms. The suffix ''-k'' (for words ending in vowels) or ''-ik'' (for words ending in consonants) is the standard plural marker; there are very few deviations. For example, the word simi (bird) is pluralized as simik, while the word reʒ (house) is pluralized as reʒik. When specifying a certain amount of an object, however, the singular is used in lieu of the plural. "Two birds" would be translated as tok simi, not tok simik. Definite Article The letter Q (qafu) is an ejective consonant (pronounced as a short k'') that serves as the definite article. It is appended to the beginning of a noun without any connecting vowel. For example, "the bird" would translate to ''qsimi /k'simi/. It is never appended to adjectives; "three houses" would translate to trige qreʒ. Declensions As Baremi does not have gendered nouns, all nouns decline in a similar manner. Slight differences are made for nouns that end in vowels or igoxja and plural nouns. The table below demonstrates the declension of gatu ''(cat), ''gatuk (cats), xasjim (shirt), xasjimik (shirts), and maj (shoe) in all cases. Personal Pronouns Pronouns decline to number, but not gender or case. Pronouns can be singular or plural, like nouns, but also have a dual form. This dual form is used more in colloquial conversation, while it is often replaced by the plural in more formal and written communications. Also present is the fourth person, which is used to describe a theoretical person (translating to someone or they in hypothetical context). In the table below, the nominative form is shown with the dative form shown in parentheses. Declension method is the same as in the table above. The third-person pronouns are declined depending on whether the object is animate or inanimate. The dative case is used in lieu of reflexive pronouns (e.g. ʒazaméi dju, to kill oneself). Verbs Baremi nouns do not conjugate by person, but by mood, number, and tense. There are four moods (indicative, subjunctive, imperative, and infinitive), two numbers (singular and dual/plural), and eight tenses (present, perfect, imperfect, pluperfect, preterite, future, conditional, and hypothetical). Verbs are usually conjugated with a prefix for mood and suffixes for number and tense. The infinitive and standard prefix for verbs is ʒa ''and all verbs end in the letter ''i. The imperative can be seen as either a command or suggestion (translating to should). Below is the conjugation for verb ʒabelpi ''(to drink). Syntax Lexicon Swadesh Example Text Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 1 '''Kéxulin liralov ga mensāv ráspatéʒ ga ḡurvtkéʒ rivu ūmanuk. Kéxjutin uárana ga dʒitjna véku kjo frátovna atrabin véku.' Example text